Wednesday, October 17, 2007
The Turks, Genocide & US
While Turkey denies the Ottoman Empire's (1915-1917) genocide of 1.5 million Armenians--in fact prosecuting those who dare to speak or write about it. Winston Churchill called the massacre of Armenians "administrative genocide." The "young Turks" "relocated" the Armenians to the desert without food, water, shelter or facilities. The fact that the Armenian Genocide was not known was one of the reasons Hitler gave to persuade others that a genocide of Jews would be tolerated.
And, while there are more important and current issues before the House of Representatives, the House had decided to join over 20 other countries which have previously condemned this genocide. The Democratic leadership brought a resolution that would condemn the mass killings of Armenian almost 100 years ago as a recognized Genocide. (The Armenian Genocide is the second most studied genocide, the first being the Holocaust).
The White House has not supported this resolution because they realize the importance of Turkey in our Middle East policy today, and they do not want to antagonize Turkey.
Shall we say that timing is everything? And, our leadership should be paying attention to what is happening today in Iraq, Afghanistan, The Sudan, not to mention the USA.
And, while there are more important and current issues before the House of Representatives, the House had decided to join over 20 other countries which have previously condemned this genocide. The Democratic leadership brought a resolution that would condemn the mass killings of Armenian almost 100 years ago as a recognized Genocide. (The Armenian Genocide is the second most studied genocide, the first being the Holocaust).
The White House has not supported this resolution because they realize the importance of Turkey in our Middle East policy today, and they do not want to antagonize Turkey.
Shall we say that timing is everything? And, our leadership should be paying attention to what is happening today in Iraq, Afghanistan, The Sudan, not to mention the USA.
